A MUGHAL-STYLE PALE CELADON JADE 'LOTUS' VASE AND COVER QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of flattened baluster form, rising from a splayed foot to an angular shoulder and a waisted neck, set with floral handles suspending a loose ring, finely carved on each side in the Mughal style with an elaborate lotus scroll issuing large blossoms and attendant buds within a border of acanthus leaves, the domed cover similarly carved with pendent lotus buds and surmounted by a rounded square knob, the smoothly polished stone of a pale sage-green colour

There are a few nicks to the interior rim of the cover and nibbling around the rim of the mouth and cover, but overall the vase is in very good condition. The actual colour is slightly warmer, deeper and less yellow compare to catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Jades carved in this florid style, which originated in Hindustan in the Mughal period, were first introduced to China around the middle of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, who quickly grew quite fond of them. The first carved jade to be sent from Central Asia to the Qing court as a tribute was recorded in 1756 and pieces continued to arrive at court throughout his reign and thereafter. Concurrently, Muslim jade carvers were brought to the Palace Workshops to fashion similar wares, and as early as 1764, exact copies of the India jades held at the Palace were reproduced by Chinese craftsmen working at court. From the inscriptions found on Mughal jades in the former Imperial collections now in Taipei and Beijing, it appears that their popularity peaked in the early to mid-1770s.

The present vase is characteristic of jade wares produced by Chinese craftsmen in imitation of Mughal style carving as seen in the loose ring handles, which are rarely found on Mughal jades from South Asia. Compare a jade vase and cover of this type, carved with a similar floral scroll, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29th/ 30th October 2001, lot 712; another, but modelled with scroll handles, sold at Christie’s London, 17th December 1981, lot 435; and a third, smaller in size and lacking the cover, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Exquisite Beauty. Islamic Jades, Taipei, 2012, cat. no. 255.